1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for removing breast meat, wings and tenders from an eviscerated poultry carcass portion carried by a conveyor mandrel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent times, increased interest has been directed toward poultry processing machinery which automatically removes breast meat from a section of a poultry carcass. Moreover, consumer demand has grown for chicken tenders and consequently there has been a need for apparatus which can efficiently remove tenders from the carcass as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,155 to Burnett, dated Mar. 10, 1987 describes apparatus for removing wings and connected breast meat from a section of a poultry carcass. In brief, the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,155 includes a conveyor having mandrels which each carry a poultry carcass along a path of travel adjacent stationary rotary cutters which partially sever the shoulder joints between the body and the wings; subsequently the wings are grasped by an overhead conveyor which pulls the wings and breast meat connected thereto away from the carcass carried on the mandrel.
While the apparatus described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,155 represents a significant advance in the art, there is a need for improving the accuracy and consistency of the cut partially severing the shoulder joints so that the wings and connected breast meat can be reliably pulled away from the carcass by the overhead conveyor without wastage. In this regard, it is to be noted that the mandrels of U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,155 carrying the carcasses toward the stationary blades move downwardly and then upwardly along a curved path in front of the blades in an attempt to partially sever front portions of the joints and associated tendons before the carcass is advanced to a location adjacent the inclined conveyor. In practice, however, it has been found that the flimsiness of the birds causes inconsistency of the cuts from one bird to another with the result that in some instances the overhead conveyor does not pull away a satisfactory amount of meat from the carcass.
The processing apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,155 further includes a pair of rubber-faced scrapers positioned along the path of the mandrels at a location downstream of the point of intersection with the overhead conveyor. The scrapers together define an inclined, inverted U-shaped channel and engage opposite sides of the carcass to block passage of the tenders. However, chicken tenders are securely fixed to adjacent portions of the keel bone and as the carcass is extruded through the passage between the scrapers the latter engage the tenders with such force that the tenders are sometimes torn apart or converted to mush. Essentially, the scrapers of U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,155 function as a blockable or gate which impacts and obstructs the tenders to interrupt movement of the latter as the carcass continues to advance through the channel between the scrapers.
In light of the foregoing, there is need for poultry processing equipment which can reliably separate breast meat and wings from a carcass and increase the yield of the tenders without resort to operator attention or manipulation.